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Plenty has been recorded about the act of running, a restorative movement with capacity for cathartic release. Within the context of elite athletics, though, the pressure of rivalry can cause individuals to overlook of this fundamental aim. Adapted from the same-named comic, Kenji Iwaisawa’s mesmerising anime transcends trophies and medals to investigate the core impetus that fuels an athlete’s ambition.

Plot Overview

100 Meters chronicles Togashi and Komiya, early-life buddies whose personal journeys diverge when they turn professional. Once the quickest elementary student in Japan, Togashi assists the less self-assured Komiya with the essentials. As the duo move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya consistently improves up the standings of top athletes, while Togashi is stuck in a slump; both battle anxieties and insecurities. Covering more than 15 years, the story documents their mental obstacles, laying bare the struggles of an athlete’s life, caught in a pattern of public scrutiny, result pressures and commercial obligations.

Creative Merits

Maybe it’s down to the original work, but the film’s response to these complex dilemmas is somewhat facile; time and time again, a protagonist’s uncertainties quickly dissolve after a prolonged talk with a colleague or elder. But what the anime falls short in story nuance and tempo, it makes up for in dazzling visuals. Utilizing trace-over animation, in which animation is drawn atop live-action footage, the feature generates remarkably precise dash moments. The physical exertion of a dash is visibly evident, and the struggle and triumph of competition are etched on the characters’ bodies.

Unforgettable Scenes

One particularly momentous race ends in the downpour, with sheets of charcoal lines that immerse the scene. Beyond spoken words, these bursts of stylistic brilliance encapsulate the almost spiritual high the movie aims to evoke.

100 Meters is showing in the United Kingdom from 16 November.